ANAHEIM — Cam Fowler’s absence from the Ducks might be measured in months rather than weeks after he undergoes surgery to mend multiple facial fractures Friday. No one can say for certain how long the All-Star defenseman will be sidelined until after the procedure.

What’s clear is that the Ducks won’t be the same team without him.

After all, Fowler is their fourth-leading scorer overall with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 19 games this season. He averages 24:41 of ice time, second on the team behind Hampus Lindholm, who averages 25:19, and 16th-most in the NHL. He plays in all situations and he plays very well.

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The struggling Ducks (8-9-3) will miss him while he’s out. They already have missed him.

Life without Fowler began with a 5-0 loss Wednesday to the Vegas Golden Knights, two nights after he was injured when a puck ricocheted off his stick blade and he suffered a complex fracture that involved the orbital bone, the cheekbone and the upper jawbone on the right side of his face.

“It’s a young group, but we have experience,” defenseman Brandon Montour said of the Ducks’ defense corps. “He’s our leader back there. He’s played a number of years. Just his mobility and his leadership when he’s on the ice, he kind of takes control of the puck and the play for the most part.

“It’s one of those things, for a guy like myself, I kind of lean on him when I can. Injuries happen. Guys have to step up. We’ve obviously had a number of injuries over the last little bit. Guys have got to bounce up here and take a little bit of control.”

It’s an opportunity for someone else, no question. But who will take it?

Wednesday, three of the Ducks’ six defensemen were rookies. No one was older than Josh Manson, who is 27. Montour, 24, formed a defense pair with Hampus Lindholm, 24. Manson and Jacob Larsson, 21, skated together. Marcus Pettersson, 22, and Andy Welinski, 25, formed the third pair.

It was expected that Lindholm would assume Fowler’s duties as quarterback of the Ducks’ first power-play unit, Manson would continue in his role as their top two-way defenseman and the others would continue to learn on the job, especially rookies Larsson, Pettersson and Welinski.

Don’t expect the Ducks to hold a pity party, though.

“This seems to be normal to be for us over the last three years,” Coach Randy Carlyle said. “We always seem to be dealing with something, extended absences of major pieces of your puzzle. But the bottom line is we’re in pro sports. Nobody’s feeling sorry for us.

“Nobody’s going to look back a year from now or two years from now and say, ‘Their record was this because (of injuries).’ That’s not the way it is. You make your record. Nobody looks at how many injured players you had or how many millions of dollars you don’t have in the lineup.

“Nobody looks at that.”

The Ducks haven’t been whole once this season, suffering a string of injuries that’s hindered their progress from before the start of training camp. Fowler, right wing Patrick Eaves (upper body) and center Carter Rowney (upper body) are on injured reserve.

Right wing Corey Perry (knee surgery) and defenseman Korbinian Holzer (wrist surgery) are on long-term injured reserve, which gives the Ducks temporary salary-cap relief. In addition, Max Comtois (lower body) is on a conditioning assignment with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.

At one point earlier this season, the Ducks had eight regulars out of their 20-man lineup.

“We just put it on the list,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said of Fowler’s injury. “It’s been a tough, tough year with injuries. We’ve got to find ways. Our organization has built depth over the years. It’s about the next guy up. Obviously, we feel for Cam. He’s a big part of this group.

Elliott Teaford covers the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He covered the Ducks for 12 years, including the Stanley Cup season, for the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze before returning to the beat in 2018 for SCNG. He also covered the Lakers for five seasons, including their back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and '10. He once made a jump shot over future Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton during a pickup game in 1980 at Cypress College.